High capacity load decorative floor display rack

ABSTRACT

A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack capable of bearing high capacity hanging loads includes a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel vertically extending slab side decorative panels, such as wooden panels, which each include a vertically extending structural steel criss-crossed supportg framework hidden inside which is capable of supporting vertical and horizontal loading on the display rack. The framework includes both horizontally extending and vertically extending mounting sockets for enabling the display rack components to be structurally tied together. A removable decorative covering for the slabs is provided which is also structurally tied into the display rack. Horizontally extending tubular steel hanging rods extend between the decorative panels for supporting hanging loads thereon, with steel rod like member extending through the horizontally extending tubular steel hanging rods and into the mounting sockets in the supporting framework where they are structurally tied in to the framework. A horizontally extending steel rod base member is spaced below the hanging rod members and extends substantially parallel thereto and is structurally tied to the supporting framework through the vertically extending mounting sockets for providing open box like supporting structure including the decorative slabs and the supporting framework to provide an integrally connected high capacity load bearing decorative retail merchandise floor display rack.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to my commonly owned contemporaneously filed United States patent Application entitled “High Capacity Load Decorative Hanging Merchandise Display Rack”, which names Giusseppe Paventi as the sole inventor thereof, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of merchandise display racks and particularly to decorative floor display racks for retail merchandise which are both decorative and capable of bearing high capacity hanging loads.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The art of display racks for hanging retail merchandise is practically as old as mankind itself. As such, retailers have always been faced with the dual problem of displaying merchandise in an aesthetic manner to attract the buyer as well as providing the best possible loading characteristics for the display fixture so that it doesn't collapse under the weight of the merchandise or when merchandise is pulled from the rack by the potential buyer. Attempts to solve this dilemma have taken many forms such as illustrated, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,238; 4,585,131; 4,898,285; 6,053,460; 5,924,663; and 5,718,398; and British Patent No. GB 2,189,138. These prior art solutions, however, keep the aesthetic aspect and the structural aspect of the display rack components separate and distinct from each other, using different components solely for each of these aspects, thereby sacrificing features of one for the other and resulting in an inefficient use of materials. In this regard, snap-on or clip-on, or some other type of removable fastening member, such as illustrated in the aforementioned prior art, have been used to secure the decorative covering to the display rack without structurally enhancing the ability of the display rack to bear high capacity hanging loads and the wear and tear normally associated with an active retail environment. As a result, in certain instances, not only is the display rack itself not strong enough to bear the desired loads, but the decorative covering itself may crack or shear under such loads.

Attempting to solve this problem by sacrificing the aesthetics of the display rack in order to increase the load bearing capacity of the display rack is not a viable solution in a retail environment, particularly a high-end retail environment, as it defeats the essential marketing purpose of displaying the merchandise in an attractive manner. These problems in the prior art are overcome by the present invention which structurally integrates the decorative components of the display rack, such as wood, with the dissimilar structural framework, such as steel, of the display rack to form a unitary high capacity load bearing structure which utilizes the decorative covering as both a decorative element and a structural element.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack capable of bearing high capacity hanging loads includes a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel vertically extending slab side decorative panels, such as wooden panels, which each include a vertically extending structural steel criss-crossed supportg framework hidden inside which is capable of supporting vertical and horizontal loading on the display rack. The framework includes both horizontally extending and vertically extending mounting sockets for enabling the display rack components to be structurally tied together. A removable decorative covering for the slabs is provided which is also structurally tied into the display rack. Horizontally extending tubular steel hanging rods extend between the decorative panels for supporting hanging loads thereon, with steel rod like member extending through the horizontally extending tubular steel hanging rods and into the mounting sockets in the supporting framework where they are structurally tied in to the framework. A horizontally extending steel rod base member is spaced below the hanging rod members and extends substantially parallel thereto and is structurally tied to the supporting framework through the vertically extending mounting sockets for providing open box like supporting structure including the decorative slabs and the supporting framework to provide an integrally connected high capacity load bearing decorative retail merchandise floor display rack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the presently preferred embodiment of a floor display rack in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the floor display rack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the floor display rack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the floor display rack of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a partial exploded view of the supporting framework and decorative slab of the floor display rack of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a front view of the supporting framework used in the floor display rack of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIGS. 1-6, a presently preferred embodiment 100 of the floor display rack of the present invention is shown. As shown and preferred in FIG. 1, the floor display rack 100, which may be built to any desired hanging height, such as for example five feet, includes a pair of parallel decorative slab sides 102, 104, such as wooden slabs, a supporting steel crisscross framework 106 which is embedded or contained within each decorative slab 102, 104 (FIGS.>5-6), a pair of spaced apart horizontally extending steel hanging rods 108 structurally tied to the supporting framework 106 and the decorative slabs 102, and a horizontally extending steel base member 110 which is also structurally tied to the supporting framework 106. as shown and preferred, the hanging rods 108 structurally tie into horizontally extending mounting sockets 112 located in the supporting framework 106 in each of the decorative side slabs 102, 104, such as by threading to create a compressive force against the slabs 102, 104. As shown and preferred, the criss cross structural framework 106 consists of a pair of vertically extending bars 114, 116, and a pair of laterally extending cross bars 118, 120.

The supporting base rods 110 of the preferred floor display rack 100 include upstanding threaded members 122, 124 which are structurally tied into vertically extending mounting sockets 126, 128, such as by threading, in the vertically extending bars, 114, 116, respectively of the supporting steel framework embedded in the decorative wooden side slabs 102, 104 to provide an integrated structure having the ability to support a high capacity hanging load.

While the present invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, those examples are intended to only be illustrative thereof and are not intended to limit the spirit or scope of the invention. 

1. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack capable of bearing high capacity hanging loads comprising: a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel vertically extending slab side decorative panels, each of said panels comprising a vertically extending structural steel criss-crossed supporting framework hidden inside a decorative slab covering, said supporting steel framework being capable of supporting vertical and horizontal loading on said display rack and including at least one horizontally extending and one vertically extending mounting socket therein, said decorative slab covering being removably securable to said supporting steel framework; a horizontally extending tubular steel hanging rod extending between said decorative panels and capable of supporting hanging loads thereon; a steel rod-like member extending through said horizontally extending tubular steel hanging rod and comprising ends extending through said horizontally extending mounting sockets in said vertically extending supporting framework; force applying securing members mateably mountable on the ends of said steel like rod members for providing a structural steel supporting framework between said decorative slabs and said hanging rod; and a horizontally extending steel rod base member spaced below said hanging rod member and extending substantially parallel thereto, said base rod further comprising means for structurally tieing said based rod to said vertically extending supporting framework for providing an open box-like supporting structure comprising said supporting framework, said hanging rod, said base rod, and said decorative slabs for providing an integrally connected high capacity load bearing decorative retail merchandise floor display rack.
 2. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 1 wherein said decorative cover member and said decorative slab are composed of a dissimilar material from said supporting framework and base and hanging rods.
 3. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 2 wherein said dissimilar material is wood.
 4. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least a second horizontally extending structural steel hanging rod spaced apart from said horizontally extending structural steel hanging rod, and a second horizontally extending structural steel base rod spaced apart from said horizontally extending steel base rod, with said second base rod and said second hanging rod being structurally tied to said supporting framework and said decorative slabs for providing said open box like supporting structure for said display rack.
 5. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 4 wherein said base rods each comprise vertically extending mounting members adjacent the horizontally extending ends thereof and structurally securable to said supporting framework vertically extending mounting sockets for providing said open box like supporting structure for said display rack.
 6. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base rod comprises vertically extending mounting members adjacent the horizontally extending ends thereof and structurally securable to said supporting framework vertically extending mounting sockets for providing said open box like supporting structure for said display rack.
 7. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 6 wherein said base rod vertically extending mounting members are secured in said vertically extending mounting sockets by welds for structurally tieing said base rod to said supporting framework.
 8. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 6 wherein said hanging rod is threadably mounted to said supporting framework for structurally tieing said hanging rod to said supporting framework.
 9. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of said base rod vertically extending mounting members are secured in said vertically extending mounting sockets by welds for structurally tieing said base rods to said supporting framework.
 10. A decorative retail merchandise floor display rack in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of said hanging rods are threadably mounted to said supporting framework for structurally tieing said hanging rods to said supporting framework. 